


the b team.

by rachelbee



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Timeless Fanfic Prompts, lol why do i even try to meet deadlines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 04:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelbee/pseuds/rachelbee
Summary: Written (just in time) for the Timeless Fanfic Prompts monthly challenge. The time team returns from a rough mission and is immediately thrown back into it.





	the b team.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I even try to meet deadlines, honestly. We already know I'll always cut it close. 
> 
> The prompt: "The fate of the world rests in your hands." "...yikes."

The sirens signaling the Mothership had departed the timeline sent a wave of exhaustion over the three time-travelers that had only just returned hours ago. Wyatt bit back a curse as he leaned further back into his chair in the conference room, Lucy’s head pillowed against his shoulder, as they tried to debrief Agent Christopher on what had just happened in the time period they’d just returned from. 

“Does that woman ever sleep?” Agent Christopher murmured, glancing apologetically at Wyatt and Rufus as she left the room to confer with Jiya of Emma’s current whereabouts. 

“I think we should put together a B team,” Rufus breathed, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Lucy, now completely asleep. Her hair was matted and her face streaked with grime and sweat, matching the faces of her teammates. 

It had been rougher than usual. 

Ensuring the Treaty of Paris had been signed had taken a toll on each of the time-travelers in their own way, and Lucy had been separated from Wyatt and Rufus almost immediately upon arriving in 1783. Women weren’t meant to travel with men in that time period.  

That hadn’t bothered Wyatt too much; Lucy was smart and capable of taking care of herself. What had worried him was that Emma had seemed only too ready to snatch her up the minute she got her alone.  

Later on in the Lifeboat, Lucy had confided in Wyatt and Rufus that Emma had admitted to having no qualms to killing Lucy now. If Lucy wanted to deny her fate as a Rittenhouse member, then Emma wouldn’t be bothered by her any longer. Wyatt’s fists clenched at the thought. 

“Wake Lucy up,” Agent Christopher called out, entering the room again, Jiya right behind her. “We need to know what happened on November 28, 1942 in Boston.” Wyatt rolled his eyes, but shifted his shoulder underneath Lucy’s head, gently nudging her. 

“Luce,” he murmured, his head bent low to whisper in her ear. She mumbled, turning her head further into his arm, her nose burying itself in the rough shirt he still wore from their trip to 1783. He chuckled halfheartedly, oblivious to the knowing smiles Rufus and Jiya were exchanging. “Come on, Luce, we need your brains,” he said a little louder, leaning back so that she was forced to pick her head up from his shoulder. 

 Lucy sighed, exasperated, yawning softly as she blinked up at Agent Christopher. 

 “Sorry,” she whispered, straightening her back in her chair. “Where did Emma go?”

 “November 28, 1942,” Rufus supplied as Wyatt watched her carefully, noting every little wince she tried to disguise. She was still in pain from being held against her will by Emma. 

 “Boston?” Lucy mumbled, revealing she’d at least been slightly awake when Agent Christopher had barged in. “Maybe the Cocoanut Grove fire?” she guessed, biting her lip as she thought it out. “I’m not sure what Emma would stand to gain, though. The fire just brought urgent attention to building codes and making sure all buildings followed them. Capacity limit was extremely enforced, since the nightclub in question was over capacity by roughly two-hundred people that night.” Lucy shook her head, shrugging. “But, not much to do with American history, unless there’s someone there that we don’t know about.” Agent Christopher nodded, satisfied. 

 “Jiya’s already checked the charge. You should all be ready to go within the next half-hour,” she informed them. Wyatt sat up straight in his chair, his eyes wild as he glanced between Lucy, half-asleep in her chair again now that her services were no longer needed, and Agent Christopher. 

 "You can’t be serious,” Wyatt gasped. “We _just_ got back from 1783. Lucy needs rest, and so do the rest of us.” He groaned at the incredulous look Agent Christopher threw at him. “All due respect, ma’am, is there at least another historian you can send?”

 “We know there’s another pilot,” Rufus mumbled, glancing at Jiya, whose eyes had lit up at the mention of getting the chance to fly the Lifeboat again. She’d recovered miraculously in the past few months, only having minor flashbacks every now and then. Rufus trusted her fully to pilot the Lifeboat by herself at this point; even her test flights in the simulator had gone smoother. “And when Wyatt was in jail, you sent us out with a bunch of soldiers.” 

 “Yeah,” Wyatt continued, turning back to Agent Christopher. “Maybe we _do_ need a B team.” Jiya nodded for emphasis, and Agent Christopher sighed, frustrated. 

 “I’ll look into it, but the truth of the matter is that we don’t have a proper ‘B team’ right now, so you three are all we’ve got. The fate of the world rests in _your_ hands.” Agent Christopher turned on her heel and left the conference room, leaving Jiya and the rest of the team to glance at each other. Lucy was now fast asleep in her chair and Wyatt had subconsciously moved to cradle her head in the crook of his shoulder again.

 Rufus huffed, looking around at his teammates, and their current state. “Yikes,” he breathed, raising his eyebrows. “Jiya, while we’re gone, make sure she really _does_ look into getting another team put together. This is getting ridiculous.” Jiya nodded, smiling softly as Rufus hobbled over to her, swinging his arm around her shoulders. They both headed out of the conference room and down to the wardrobe dock, where Rufus would have to change from 1783 clothing to 1942 clothing in the next twenty or so minutes. 

 Wyatt looked down at Lucy, sleeping peacefully nestled against his arm, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips. He mirrored her smile, his eyes softening. She really _did_ need sleep. After everything she’d been through, not just in the past twenty-four hours, but in the past few months, he wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on. He knew she wasn’t sleeping regularly; he could hear her tossing and turning on his couch from his bedroom. 

 Several times, he’d woken to her thrashing around on the couch, completely restless, and had tucked the blankets back around her small body, sitting with her until she calmed down. 

 He’d never told her, keeping his nightmare remedy his own little secret. 

 “Fate of the world is kinda steep,” Wyatt whispered, smirking down at Lucy. “I mean, you said it yourself that this really doesn’t affect American history too much.” He gently nudged Lucy’s head, and again, she moaned and turned her nose into his shirt. “Come on, Lucy, she’ll come back in here if we’re not down there, soon. I don’t know what kind of clothes you’ll have to wear for 1942, but I bet they won’t take five minutes to put on.”

 That woke her up. 

 Lucy groaned into Wyatt’s shirt before removing her head completely and standing from her chair in one fluid movement, stretching her arms above her head as she stifled a yawn. 

 “I’m up,” she insisted, reaching a hand out to help Wyatt out of his chair. 

 He didn’t really need her help, but he’d never turn it down. 

 Their hands stayed clasped together as she dragged him out of the conference room and down to the wardrobe dock, where Jiya was waiting for Rufus outside of his changing room. 

 “So, what’s the deal with this fire, Lucy?” she asked, gesturing to her tablet, the screen blank. “I can’t find anything at all about it.” Lucy frowned, tilting her head to the side. 

 “Really? That’s odd,” she murmured, taking the tablet from Jiya. “It’s the most famous nightclub fire in history.” Jiya shrugged as Agent Christopher’s heels clicked onto the platform, and Wyatt quickly detached his hand from Lucy’s to pick out an outfit from the 40’s. 

 “You’ll all be ready to go in the next fifteen minutes?” she called out, and the three team members each yelled out an affirmation, Lucy still puzzling over the tablet in her hands. “Lucy, I can see you. Put that down and get changed.” Lucy glanced up, her cheeks flushing, and quickly nodded. Agent Christopher left and Lucy handed the tablet back to Jiya. 

 “Well, we’ll find out what happens when we get there, I guess,” Lucy shrugged before heading off into the racks of clothes from the 40’s as well.

* * *

 

Emma was surprisingly easy to spot, even among the mass of people packed into the small nightclub that evening. Wyatt held Lucy close as they waded through the crowd, his arm wrapped around her slim waist, keeping an eye on Emma as she ducked into a back room. Taking Lucy by the elbow, he pulled her onto the dance floor, pulling her back into his arms as his eyes swept the room for Emma’s guys.

 “Alright, Luce, why is this fire so damn important?” he breathed into her ear as they swayed together, trying to blend in. Lucy rested her head against his shoulder, glancing around the room as well. 

 “It solidifies a bunch of health codes,” Lucy whispered, looking up at Wyatt. He frowned softly down at her, his hand tightening on her waist. “Years ago, there was a similar situation in Boston, where the buildings weren’t up to code and a fire killed a lot of people. This is the fire that really gets them to crack down on building codes, make buildings safer, and establishes the importance of following maximum capacity.” Wyatt nodded along as Lucy gave him a mini history lesson. His eyes quickly swept back towards the entrance, where people were still filing in, even with the lack of personal space in the club. Rufus was on the other side of those doors; Lucy had said it would be best if he stayed outside, helped get people to safety when the time came. 

 “Alright, let’s split up,” Wyatt murmured, catching a glimpse of Emma as she emerged from the back room she’d disappeared in. He let Lucy slip from his grip as the song ended, but caught her wrist before she could turn into the crowd. “Be careful. I don’t see any of her guys here, but that doesn’t mean they can’t show up unannounced.” Lucy nodded and he squeezed her fingers in his before letting her go, turning to follow Emma. 

 Lucy dodged around the club, keeping an eye out for any familiar faces, while also looking for the busboy that would set the place on fire. She kept looking back at the tell-tale light bulb that would burn out and need to be changed, which would be when the busboy would light a match and the flame would catch on a decorative palm tree. The tree would go up in flames instantly, and the club would be too packed for enough people to escape in time. All of the exits were currently blocked by hordes of people, dancing and drinking, and Lucy quickly sneaked a peek at her watch under her sleeve to double-check the time. 

 Any minute, now. 

 She bit her lip as she watched the light bulb, waiting for it to flicker and burn out. She hoped that Wyatt would get to an exit quickly enough, and a sense of dread washed over her as she thought about what would happen if he didn’t. Lucy quickly tamped those thoughts down, staying focused on the light bulb. 

 It was burning brightly, no sign of a flicker. She frowned, tilting her head up at it. 

 “What are you trying to prevent, exactly?”

 Lucy spun around to find Emma, her red hair hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat, her outfit different from what she’d had on before. Her heart sank; Wyatt was following someone else. 

 “I have to make sure the fire happens,” Lucy replied stoically. Emma smirked, taking a step towards her. 

 Lucy didn’t move an inch. 

 Emma leaned in, the brim of her hat covering the both of them as she whispered, “What fire?”

 Lucy glanced down at her watch and quickly spun around, waiting for the light to go out. 

 Nothing happened.

 The light was still burning brightly, long after it should’ve gone out, after the busboy should’ve been told to change it. In a minute or so, this club was supposed to go up in flames. 

 “Why was the fire started, Lucy?” Emma asked, moving past her to stand under the light. 

 “A busboy lit a match when he was changing the bulb,” Lucy mumbled, frowning as she looked into the crowd, searching for the busboy. Emma smirked, stepping up onto a chair that sat askew from a table, and reached up for the light bulb. 

 “And why did he have to change the bulb in the first place?” she asked. Frowning, Lucy watched as she unscrewed the lightbulb, the section of the club now bathed in darkness. She stood frozen as Emma  tossed the lightbulb on the ground, smashing it under her heel as she sauntered back over to Lucy, tipping her hat. “A patron had originally removed the bulb,” she whispered as she brushed past Lucy, calling out for the manager to replace the light.

 There were no other patrons around to have moved the bulb. Had the fire been Emma’s doing all this time? Lucy remembered earlier, when Jiya tried and failed to find anything about it. Had it even happened, then? Feeling the exhaustion from the earlier mission and the confusion from this one, Lucy collapsed into a nearby chair, her head in her hands. 

 How had Emma done it? How had she changed the history Lucy knew?

 “Miss, are you alright?” Lucy looked up to see a young man, frowning down at her. She smiled politely, nodding up at him. 

 “Quite alright, thank you. Just a little light-headed. I’m certain it shall pass,” she replied, shrugging slightly. The young man grinned and nodded at her. 

 “Very well, miss. If you don’t mind, I just need to change this light, here.” Without another word, he got up on the chair Emma had stood on earlier, and Lucy watched in horror as he lit the match.

 “Wyatt,” she whispered, a habit she couldn’t seem to kick even though he was nowhere near her. The flame was even larger than she could have ever imagined, and she stood from her chair, watching as the fire climbed the tree, heading for the curtains draped all over the club. “The palm tree is on fire,” she called out as the busboy stumbled off of the chair and began running for the exit. 

 Cries of horror erupted, and Lucy turned to find the entirety of the club rushing towards the one exit. They pushed into people, knocking chairs and tables into the flames, feeding the fire. She quickly tried to move out of the way, calling out for Wyatt, searching for him in the crowd, praying he was alright. 

 A group of people knocked into her, and with her fatigue, Lucy quickly lost her balance, stumbling to the ground. Her head knocked against a stray chair that had yet to be licked up by the flames, and everything went black.

* * *

 

 

Wyatt pushed his way through the crowd as he heard Lucy’s voice call out that the palm tree was on fire, alerting everyone in the club. People began pushing toward the exit, shoving Wyatt into the back wall by the staff quarters. He scanned the club, his eyes locking on Lucy as she struggled through the crowd. He sighed, relieved; she’d make it out of here and he’d see her outside. He quickly made his way to the doors, then, helping as many people out as he could, while the fire only continued to grow.

 Wyatt pushed his way through the doors, coughing up smoke as he scanned the crowd outside the club for Lucy and Rufus. Rufus was jumping up and down, waving at him, and he quickly ran over to him. He frowned as he noted the absence of their other teammate. 

 “Where’s Lucy?” they both cried out as Wyatt stopped in front of Rufus. “I thought she was with you!” they yelled in unison, again, and Wyatt held up a hand to stop Rufus from speaking again. 

 “If she’s not out here with you, then where the hell is she?” Wyatt demanded, his heart sinking as he realized he already knew the answer. 

 “She must not have gotten out,” Rufus breathed, and Wyatt turned around, watching the flames devour the building. 

 No. 

 “Stay here, I’m going back in for her,” Wyatt cried out over the roar of the distraught crowd as the sound of beams breaking sounded. He shoved his way back through the crowd, trying to get back into the building. 

 People were _still_ trying to get through the exit as Wyatt pushed past them, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and breathing into it as he scanned the smoky room for Lucy. 

 “Lucy!” he screamed, squinting through the flames. He pushed through the crowd of people still trying to get out, heading back to the last part of the club he’d seen her. “Lucy,” he breathed, coughing as he ducked down. She lay motionless on the floor, a small trickle of blood dripping from a small wound on the side of her head. Wyatt quickly scooped her up, tucking her close to his chest as he ran back through the flames, rushing to get her out as another beam cracked above them. 

 His fingers flitted over her wrist as he adjusted his grip, but he didn’t bother feeling for a pulse. 

 He was too afraid of what he would, or wouldn’t, find. 

 Wyatt burst through the exit once more, this time carrying an unconscious Lucy, coughing violently. Rufus quickly helped both of them to a side street as the firemen finally pulled up, beginning to douse the flames with water. It was a lost cause; the club was mostly destroyed, only a shell of  the building that had stood only twenty minutes ago, at most. 

 “Is she…?” Rufus trailed off, noting Wyatt’s eyes, wide with fear. 

 Wyatt shook his head, his fingers resting gently against her neck. He breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly pressed his forehead against hers, and Rufus frowned, leaning over his teammates. “She’s alive,” Wyatt breathed, lifting his head to press his lips to her hair, cradling her head in his hand as he pulled her close. “She’s got a pulse. She’s gonna be fine.” Rufus smiled as Wyatt grinned up at him, relieved. He brushed his fingers through her hair, feeling the small bump on the side of her head. She must have passed out from hitting the chair, and the smoke had kept her down. 

 “Well, let’s get her home, then. The fire happened, and I’m sure Emma figured out a way to get out,” Rufus explained as Wyatt nodded, scooping Lucy up again, cradling her against his chest. They pushed through the crowd of people gathered outside the burning building and made their way back to the Lifeboat.

* * *

Rufus kept glancing back at Wyatt as he settled Lucy in her seat, trying to prop her up so her head wouldn’t droop down to her chest. Neither of them liked the look of that. He tried not to notice the way Wyatt’s hand passed over her hair, brushing the stray strands out of her face, his fingertips lingering against her cheek before he sat back in his seat, quickly buckling himself in. Rufus sighed, quickly preparing the Lifeboat for take-off, and glanced back one more time to see Wyatt leaning forward in his seat, Lucy’s wrist caught in his hand, his thumb gently brushing over the soft skin there. 

 As soon as they made it back to the present, Wyatt was out of his seat, screaming for a medic. He locked eyes with Agent Christopher, but he quickly tore his gaze away as people began to rush the Lifeboat, helping them get to Lucy. 

 “What happened?” Agent Christopher called out, but Wyatt pushed past her without a word as he followed the doctors into the infirmary, his hand holding on tightly to Lucy’s as they wheeled her away on a stretcher. 

 Rufus climbed out of the Lifeboat, holding his arms out for Jiya to rush into, as she did after every mission. “Lucy got hurt,” he said simply, regarding Agent Christopher with an emotionless look. “Maybe you should think about that B team, now. He slung his arm around Jiya’s shoulders and they headed toward the wardrobe dock. “If Lucy isn’t alright, you’re going to need them anyway.” 

 Agent Christopher was silent as she watched Rufus go, then glanced over to the infirmary doors. She could hear Wyatt arguing with the doctors as he was presumably told he couldn’t go in with Lucy until she was stable. Rufus and Wyatt had already looked a little worse for wear, but Lucy had been falling asleep on Wyatt’s shoulder after the first mission. She shook her head, disappointed with herself; she should’ve known better than to send her team out in their state. 

 Jiya had crept back onto the dock after leaving Rufus to get changed, hiding behind one of the gates. 

 She watched as Agent Christopher quickly pulled a chair out near a computer and collapsed into it, her head falling forward into her hands. Wordlessly, she pulled out her cell phone, hitting speed-dial and pressing the device to her ear. “Yes, sir. I have a request to make, and before you say no, I would like to inform you that it is in the absolute best interest of my team, and I will not take no for an answer.” 

 Jiya smiled as Agent Christopher continued convincing her boss of what they needed. 

 Back in the infirmary, Wyatt had indeed been told that he had to wait outside for Lucy to be stable and was shuffling around in front of the doors, trying to keep his breathing even. The doctors had allowed him in at first, checking him over for smoke inhalation and any injuries, but once they had deemed him clear to travel if Emma went out again, they’d pushed him away, focusing all their attention on Lucy. 

 She hadn’t stayed down because of the smoke; it had been because of her physical exhaustion. Her body was too tired to get back up once she’d fallen, and he overheard a doctor say that she shouldn’t have been cleared to travel at all. Wyatt gritted his teeth at that, planning on having some words with Agent Christopher once he was certain Lucy was fine. 

 “Hey,” Rufus sighed, plopping down on the floor as Wyatt continued to pace. Wyatt nodded at him, his head still hung with worry as he glanced through the doors, hoping to see a doctor coming to tell him, them, that Lucy was okay. 

 Nothing. 

 “Have you debriefed yet?” Wyatt asked tersely, but Rufus shook his head. “Is she waiting for Lucy to get better? Because that might take a while.” 

 “No, she’s on the phone with Homeland,” Rufus replied, and Wyatt froze, turning to look at Rufus. “Yeah, Jiya overheard her arguing with her boss about something that she felt was extremely important.” Wyatt nodded slowly, his stance loosening as his shoulders relaxed slightly. 

 “Well,” Wyatt breathed, clearing his throat. “Good.” Rufus chuckled and Wyatt ducked his head again, moving to slide down the wall, sitting beside Rufus. 

 “She’s gonna be fine, Wyatt,” Rufus assured him with a knowing smile, and Wyatt rolled his eyes, but nodded all the same. He knew she was going to be alright. She had to be. He didn’t know what he’d do without Lucy. What _they_ would do without her. They were more than a team; they were family. 

* * *

 

 

Lucy woke hours later, yawning softly as she stretched her body out. Her hand was caught in something, and when she panicked and tried to pull it away, it only gripped her tighter. She opened her eyes, and stopped struggling as she realized what, or rather who, was holding onto her hand. 

 Wyatt sat in a chair pulled close to her makeshift hospital bed, his hand clutching hers. His head slumped next to her side, snoring softly. His hand must have tightened around hers on instinct, since he seemed to still be asleep. Lucy chuckled, then turned to her other side where Rufus and Jiya sat curled up together, not as close to her as Wyatt was, but still close enough. Her heart warmed at the sight of her teammates surrounding her, waiting for her to wake up. 

 “Your team loves you,” Agent Christopher’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to find her standing in the doorway. She offered Lucy a small smile as she shuffled into the room. “How are you feeling?” 

 “Better,” Lucy replied quietly, and as soon as she’d spoken, Wyatt stirred, his hair brushing against the back of her hand as he tilted his head to squint up at her. “Morning,” she breathed with a soft smile and he smiled up at her, picking his head up from the mattress and resting it on their hands. 

 “Morning,” he whispered, his eyes still squinted as he continued to wake up. “How are you feeling?”

 “Better,” she repeated. Agent Christopher smiled at the two of them, and wondered if either of them saw what everyone else did. 

 “Master Sergeant,” Agent Christopher called out, and Wyatt turned to look at her, the smile slowly slipping from his face. “I owe you an apology.” He perked up slightly at that, and she didn’t miss the way his hand tightened around Lucy’s, his thumb brushing absently over the back of her fingers. “You tried to warn me that Miss Preston wasn’t healthy enough to travel, and I ignored you. I’m sorry.” Wyatt nodded stiffly at her, but his eyes had softened. 

 “Thanks,” he murmured, and Lucy squeezed his hand, tilting her head at him, her eyes stern. He cleared his throat, turning to Agent Christopher again. “Thank you, ma’am, apology accepted.” Agent Christopher nodded as he turned back to Lucy. 

 “I have arranged for a...” Agent Christopher paused, smiling softly. “A ‘B team’ as you called it,” she continued, and both Wyatt and Lucy sat up straight. “Christine Parker, I’m told, used to work with you, Lucy.” Lucy nodded, smiling wide. 

 “Oh, Christine is fantastic,” she whispered. “She’ll do a great job. We were in grad school together.” Wyatt shrugged, as Agent Christopher continued. 

 “And Master Sergeant Charles Tedder will be the new Wyatt,” she informed, and Wyatt smiled softly as he glanced between Lucy and Agent Christopher. 

“Teddy,” he whispered, chuckling. “He’ll do a good job. I taught him everything he knows.” Lucy squeezed his hand, smiling. “Who will pilot, ma’am?” Agent Christopher grinned, nodding at the sleeping couple in the chair on the opposite side of the bed.

 “Jiya,” she replied. Wyatt and Lucy both turned to look at the couple, blissfully unaware. “She finally passed the simulation while you three were gone. I think it was her way of convincing me that she was ready to be on the ‘B team’.” Lucy nodded, smiling at Rufus and Jiya before turning back to Wyatt. 

 “You know what this means?” she asked, giggling. Wyatt shook his head. “If they’re the B team, that officially makes us the A team.” Wyatt chuckled, his head falling forward to rest on their hands, still joined on the bed. 

 “Rufus is going to get a kick out of that.” 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Proofed and edited with the help of my lovely friend, deadlyrainbows! She's marvelous, y'all; go check out her WIP (nearly complete!) "Fight or Flight" :D


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